Travel: Castries, Saint Lucia

Castries, Saint Lucia

Castries is located on the northwest coast of St. Lucia, and is bordered by the Caribbean Sea. It is the capital city of St. Lucia.

There is wonderful duty-free shopping to be found in Castries, as well as a colourful market where you'll want to buy some souvenirs. If Creole cuisine is to your liking, you'll find plenty of it in Castries and throughout St. Lucia.

Among the landmarks you won't want to miss in St. Lucia are the Pitons, twin volcanic peaks rising half a mile out of the sea, and the world's only drive-in volcano near the village of Soufriere on the southwest coast.

For hikers, St. Lucia boasts two lush rainforests, one by Mahaut in the east, and the other at Fond St. Jacques in the west.

Beach-lovers, meantime, are sure to be enticed by St. Lucia's many beautiful, volcanic-sand beaches and warm, turquoise waters. There's also plenty of sun and heat to go around, with annual daytime highs ranging from 28 to 31 degrees Celsius.

Expect to see some rain in St. Lucia from August to October, but it's just what you'll need after long days in the sun.

Tourists should be aware that St. Lucia, including Castries, can be affected by tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.